The equinox skyline drive was such a nice experience. This is the only privately owned toll road in the United States. The drive up is beautiful, especially when you get there at sunset. Absolutely glorious. The amount of wild flowers was so awe inspiring. I didnt take the trail head but it sure seemed wonderful Absolutely one for the bucket lists read more

See all

An experience! I was super intimidated to drive this but took the plunge-and Im glad I did. We went on 4th of July-$30 and we got a 250th sticker. You have to go into the gift shop and exchange your money for a token that gets you passed the gate and onto the toll road. The drive up was not bad. Coming down is a lot but i have that awesome button that has the car going down the hill so once we figured that out it was smooth coasting at 15 mph the whole way down. Its beautiful once you get to the summit. There are picnic tables so bring lunch or a snack to relax and take it all in. There are bathrooms and a small gift shop. There is a meditation/prayer room and lots of history to read about. Would love to come back in the fall!! read more

See all

We are traveling and had no idea it would cost $35 for the two of us to drive up, but we did. It was just before 4:00 and the clerk informed us that we would only have about 15 minutes at the summit because it is a 15-minute drive up and we have to head back by 4:30... exit the gate by 5:00. The property is owned by a monastery, so there is a lovely meditation chapel at the summit. As we walked in, I told my husband I was going into the chapel to pray first. The attendant yelled across the room, "we are closing at 4:30. You'd better get your pictures first if you want any!" I thought it was a rude thing to say, but I walked over to each platform and snapped a couple of pictures. We looked around a bit, and then I went into the chapel to pray. We were instructed that it is important to use lowest gears and stop a couple of times on the way down to let brakes cool. We had 40 minutes to make the 15-minute drive back. We stopped part way down, took some pictures and here comes that rude woman!! She says "you have to leave!!" I said that we had plenty of time to be out by 5:00 but she insisted that we leave immediately because she had to leave behind us and she had to clean the restrooms. She was abrasive, and rude. I was really irritated. What should have been a spiritually uplifting, fun experience was ruined by someone who has no manners, and no business dealing with the public. To me it was worth the price to drive up. Go early enough so that you can really enjoy the building at the top... bring a picnic... take a walk. Views are better, and photographs are better, if it is a sunny day. read more

See all

We came here from a friend's recommendation. Yes, you must purchase the token before you can drive up. I agree the price is steep...25 for a car and the driver, and 5 extra for every passenger. It is more expensive during the fall foliage season. However unlike other people, the lady who helped us was very nice. She let us know before we paid that the top was a little bit foggy. I told her it's ok. She explained the brake process...I will get to that in a little bit. We arrived late, and was the second to last car going up to the top. The mountain is steep....my car had to work hard to get up. But the sceneries are breathtaking. Once we got to the top, there was an old gentleman watching the welcome center. He was very friendly. We knew the center closed at 4:30, and it was 4:05 when we got there. He did not push us out, and talked to us for a while. Lots of history of the building, and again breathtaking sceneries. Now the drive down...I am not kidding you....it's tough. My brakes did smolder a little bit, but we rested at the rest stops. Since I was the last car down other than the gentleman, when he saw us resting at a rest stop, he waited for us to go and followed us. I am not sure if there is a better way to come down the very steep mountain except to make sure you take the rest breaks to cool down your brakes. There are hiking trails at the peak. I guess if you are brave, it should be a very nice hike. Maybe one day I will come back to visit again during the fall foliage season. read more

Gorgeous place! Informative caretakers. Great for picnics too. Short trail to hike as well.

Amazing views from the highest peak in the Taconic Range where you also see the Green, White, Adirondack and Berkshire mountain ranges - the mountains go on forever!! How can you not make this drive if you are in area? Just stunning even on a cloudy day. Yes, $25 is expensive for a drive but the private road costs millions to be paved and maintained. Some tips: come early enough (before 2-3pm) and drive to top first (no stops needed on way up.) Take pictures at the peak and if you have time take a hike through woods. Building on top has picnic tables, bathrooms, and history of area and the Carthusian monks who were gifted land and pray for all of us, but it does close at 4:15pm. After you leave top, shift to low gear and go slowly down the hill and stop at each viewing area to rest brakes. We had no problems, but others who rode their brakes down hill had to wait at base for brakes to cool. We will be back for Fall foliage for sure!! read more

Equinox Skyline Drive - Mount Equinox views - Hiking Near Me

See all

We loved our trip up to Mount Equinox on this sunny October Friday. We spent a couple of hours driving up the 5-mile toll road, enjoying the views along the way and the top and then pulling off for a semi private stop to enjoy the pastries, pate and cheese we had purchased along the trip. We even had the accelerating joy of seeing a black bear come to cross the road a few feet in front of our car. The history of the mountain and the juxtaposition of a chemistry genius and a religious monastery was interesting, but we just loved the views! Now why not five stars? The help. When we entered the admissions office at the base of the mountain the "ladies" there could not have been more sour. After paying $25 for the car and another $5 for a passenger we were handed a piece of paper that basically said drive up and watch your brakes on the way down. Reading it quickly I asked one of the ladies for any tips, tricks or things we should know about and she said gruffly "why don't you read the paper?" I looked at her and thanked her for her help even though she couldn't have been less helpful. That aside we were not going to let her spoil our day and enjoyed the mountain and its view immensely. read more

Regardless of the other reviews we decided to make the trip. A little pricey at $25 per car plus $5 for each passenger but we enjoyed it. Many reviews speak of rude people our experience was the opposite. When we arrived at the welcome area to purchase our admission there was an older woman behind the counter who was very pleasant and walked through some tips/suggestions/direction of the drive up and down and handed us a printed card which contained the same info. She also showed us a video feed from the top to make sure we understood it was an overcast day so visibility would be limited- which we expected. We had planned to take the drive anyway since part of the experience for us is the change in plant life as you ascend.... We enjoyed the drive up and the drive down and there were plenty of awesome views - at the peak not so much - but we enjoyed walking among the pines with the mist rolling through. read more

Great way to see the area and to smoke your brakes! No really it's a cool thing to do in the area just make sure it's not hazy out.

We're so glad we took the time to drive up this breathtaking mountain during the fall foliage season this October. The views overlooking the mountains cannot be described through words and need to be experienced by everyone visiting Vermont. Majestic is just one word that comes to mind when thinking back on our drive up the mountain. It's a 5 mile drive up to the summit and takes about 20 minutes each way but give yourself extra time for stops along the way. Drive carefully and observe the speed limit as there are a few hairpin turns both ways. Pack a light lunch or snacks to enjoy at the summit while overlooking the magnificent views. Cost in my opinion is worth the trip. $15 per car plus $5 per person in the car. There are a few trails which is also a great way to enjoy the mountain if you're up for a challenging hike. read more

Equinox Skyline Drive - View from the summit - Hiking Near Me

Travelled 4 hrs to get to Mt Equinox after finding it online as part of our tour of VT. Didn't realize the place had such a religious vibe and history to it, not that I mind. The views were outstanding in mid october and pictures will not do it justice (although they still look amazing on a digital camera!) It is a 5 mile road up and that also means it will be 5 miles on the way back riding your brakes... stop on the long ridge halfway up the mountain to give your brakes a rest. We didn't do this and got 2/3 of the way down with our brakes smoking non stop for 10 minutes!! read more

This should be called Mt. EquiGOD. Jesus! All the religious stuff everywhere. Had I known I would be contributing to a religious cause, I would not have gone. I figured all the jesus stuff in the ticket building was just the fancy of the lady selling tickets. Nope. There was a huge painted sign of jesus halfway up the mountain, and some kind of religious building on the top where they ask you for MORE donations. Donations for what? Not to keep up the main trail, that's for sure. While the trail is very pretty, it's also very uneven and dangerous in some places, muddy in others, be prepared to climb over fallen trees that they don't move out of the way. We saw a three foot garter snake and its babies on the trail. That was kind of scary since we didn't know what kind of snake it was on first sight and had to look it up later. Once at the top, there are trees blocking the view in almost every direction. There is a bench you can stand on, but I used it to pray to St. Barney or whoever they're using up there, to pray for better trails. Only go on a clear day, otherwise clouds can obscure your vision of the farther vistas. The lady in the ticket building did tell us to rest our brakes on the way down and we thought we were doing that, but they overheated anyway and we had to sit for 30 minutes at one rest stop alone. Which, by the way, you don't want to just turn off your car because your brakes will warp (depending on the type of brakes you have). It's actually advised to drive your car slowly around in circles for a while, they'll still cool off and you'll be preventing them from warping. So all in all, it's not worth the price. Probably a good $5 or maybe $8 admission. read more

See all

The people who run this place are surprisingly nasty. Spent $20; upon arriving at the viewpoint trailhead right at 3:30pm, some super snide, aggressive old guy in a pickup truck--presumably an employee--starts yelling at me and says it closes at 3:30, no exceptions. He insists 'the monks' won't allow me to do the short hike out for the best view, even though I have more than enough time to make it back before closing. I live in NYC and haven't experienced such an aggressively disrespectful attitude since maybe my last visit to the DMV. Don't waste your money here. The views I saw are decent but not that great compared to the Adirondacks, plus it's super crowded with tourists. read more

We had the bright idea of driving up to this mountain view point on a recent cloudy, rainy day. It could very easily have been a total bust, but luckily the surrounding wilderness and hiking more than made up for the complete lack of any real vistas. After driving up the well-maintained toll road, we parked at the visitor's center on the summit alongside one other car (everyone else must have read the weather forecast) and walked out into the mist. We stumbled to the trail leading to "Lookout Rock" and started down the muddy path. The complete lack of other tourists really made the short walk something special, and the surrounding mists and dripping pines only added to the atmosphere. The effect of that silence helped us understand the story told at the visitor's center, as we learned that the mountain was part of the lands bequeathed to the Carthusian Monastery, a sect of Catholic monks devoted to contemplation and isolation from the outside world. We soon drove back down the mountain into the sunshine, but our own hour of contemplation at the summit of Mt. Equinox was something we won't soon forget. read more

I've been wanting to drive up Mt Equinox since I discovered it while visiting the area this past winter. The price to get in is $20 ($5 additional per person), in my opinion that's a bit outrageous. However it was something I really wanted to do and since the weather was perfect we went for it. Elevation is 3,848 and the temp is approx 10 degrees cooler up top, be prepared. The ride up was nice there are a few places to stop and take in the surrounding scenery. Once at the summit that's it, you're at the top nothing much exciting going on. I thought there was a gift shop, there is not. Not to say it wasn't worth it because it really was. I was fortunate enough to be there on a perfectly clear day, the views are breathtaking from every direction you look you see miles and miles of mountains, the air is crisp and fresh. There are picnic tables, bringing a lunch would be an awesome idea. There are also a few hiking trails. For me I just walked around talking about how pretty it was, took a ton of pics and then headed back down. I never once felt unsafe but do be careful on the descent, some hairpin turns which are a bit more intimidating going down. Also it's super tough on your brakes, even continually pumping them I could smell the burn. The same spots I stopped on the way up to take pics, i stopped on the way down to give my car mini breaks. I don't plan on returning because I think it's extremely overpriced but I'm glad i went, I got to cross it off my bucket list :) read more

See all

So was so disappointed about this we came at 3:55 and on sign it says last car admitted at 4 pm we waited at counter and no one was there older woman walks in at 3:58 and says it's 4 despite me showing her multiple times it was not yet 4 she would not allow us to drive up because she had just emptied tokens and was just being nasty because she did not feel like doing her job . Shame on them . read more

When the website says "open may through october" it would be nice to know that it means END of may. Open May implies they would be open by now. I enjoyed my time here the last time and was hoping to see it once more before leaving Vermont for good but I guess not. read more

The cost of admission made me think twice about going but I am very glad I made the trip. So worth it. The views at the top are amazing. Bring a chair and stay a while, you'll want to take it all in! read more

Equinox Skyline Drive - Hiking Near Me

We enjoyed our visit to Mount Equinox, but especially learning about its history from the friendly caretaker. The views on the way up as well as at the summit are spectacular and although we did the trail, we hope to return one day to try it out as I think it may be beautiful. It is well worth the toll to take this trip as it helps to preserve a beautiful area of Vermont for future generations to enjoy. read more